The Art of Waiting
by tarsido
Summary: Kaito (doesn't) expect and Shinichi (doesn't) give. Pre-KaiShin


**Title: **The Art of Waiting

**Warning: **Inebriated people, UST

**Rating:** K+

**Summary: **Kaito (doesn't) expect and Shinichi (doesn't) give. Pre-KaiShin

**Disclaimer:** I don't own, as usual.

* * *

Their little corner of the long bar table is dark with simple papery swinging lamps casting light and shadows everywhere, but Kaito thinks that it would take much more to hide the apple-redness of Shinichi's cheeks. He watches in interest, and feels stirring strands of _want_ in his belly. It would be so _easy, _he wasn't at his clearest at the moment, and he could always blame the alcohol in the morning- But. He tampers it down with the ease of practice and smiles lightly at Shinichi.

Shinichi, as usual, takes offense to it. "You! Stop- stop staring. Don't you have any manners?" He snaps, catching himself in a slur and wrestling it back under control. He clutches his drink and glares at it, but doesn't tip it down. "Why aren't you as drunk as I am?" He demands, switching his glower to Kaito, as if he had committed a crime of epic proportion. Kaito grins.

"Because I'm not the one whose friends caught and forced drink after drink down my throat," he says, a wicked glint in his eyes.

Shinichi mutters something about traitorous friends and _with friends like these, who needs enemies?_ and sighs moodily. Kaito notes with interest that he was starting to tilt precariously to the left.

"Why so opposed to drinking?" Kaito asks idly. "Granted, too much is bad, but a glass or two is freeing." He quirks an eyebrow at the moody frown Shinichi surfaced. A heavy silence dragged on, before Shinichi spoke again.

"Alcohol is bad for secret keepers," Shinichi mumbles. Kaito perks up, intrigued. He slumps forward broodingly. "Don't- don't want to remember. And don't want to let people know." He exhales so loudly that people look over startled, but the attention quickly fades. It was a common thing in a place like this after all.

Shinichi was starting to lose that silly, drunken-dazed look on his face to a darker, grimmer one. Kaito feels his heart clench. _Don't leave. Don't go somewhere I can't follow, _he doesn't say. He tells Shinichi with lightness he doesn't feel, "I won't let you. I'll stop you if you want me to." _If you need me._

Don't push, he reminds himself. It's not the right moment.

An ever-present ache throbs in his chest. He wonders if it'll ever come.

He smiles wryly. _How unlike you to be such a defeatist,_ he could almost imagine Shinichi reprimand him. He bolsters himself up again.

"Who needs you?" Shinichi scoffs. He winds his fingers sinuously around the glass and Kaito pointedly doesn't look. "I just won't drink next time."

A little pang of hurt stabs him. He smiles painfully, but Shinichi doesn't notice, not in his drunkenness. "It was just an option."

Another silence drops between them as Shinichi continues to lean left alarmingly and Kaito has only the company of his own thoughts.

A head thuds against Kaito's shoulder, shocking him out of his musing. He turns his head slightly, and finds Shinichi, eyes half lidded and staring blankly at a point somewhere to the right of Kaito's elbow, nose nuzzled into his neck, the fluffy strands of hair tickling his nose. Kaito holds back a sneeze and wraps an arm around his waist, pulling him snugly.

A little warmer than usual, he thinks, resting the tips of his fingers gingerly and the heel of his palm on Shinichi's waist. But that's probably due to the alcohol.

He sees the culprits of Shinichi's current state quickly approaching the table, eyes alight and slightly unfocused from their own drinking games, sporting mischievous grins on their faces. He smiles at them sunnily. They wolf-whistle and cat-call and Shinichi stirs, mumbling irritably. Kaito strokes his side with the pads of his fingers gently and coos soothingly and he settles again, with a pinch to his forehead. Kaito doesn't like it, but it wasn't the right time and place to smooth it away.

The crowd of well-meaning friends nudges each other and giggles all through this, but Kaito isn't bothered. He gazes at them peaceably, then remarks that it was late, he promised his mother he wouldn't stay out for too long, he'll go home now, and walk Shinichi home too. This is predictably greeted by more cheers and suggestive winks, and Kaito takes it all in stride with amiable laughs until he catches the worried crease of Ran's brow. He doesn't know how to reassure her, so he just smiles at her sweetly.

Shinichi turns slightly and murmurs into Kaito's neck. He could feel the little goosebumps on Shinichi's arm, and more to the point, the tiny puffs of air against his neck. Kaito reaches up and touches Shinichi's cheek, just a graze really. He feels the lingering warmth against the pads of his thumb and index fingers, and can almost imagine the indignant protests of UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE that Shinichi would normally deliver in that cold tetchy tone that he used with Kaito so often. Drunken Shinichi only curls closer.

He grins ironically. _You'll be the death of me one day._

He wasn't sure what she sees in his face, but the furrow eases and she crooks a smile at him and the tenseness he didn't realise she was bearing runs out like water. She murmurs, "Take care of him, please?"

What else can he say but, "I will"?

Shinichi just had to pick that moment to grumble, "I'm still here, I'm still alive and kicking and I can take care of myself." He scowls at Kaito but doesn't try to move away.

"Yes, yes. _Of course_ you have to be a clever drunk." Kaito brushes a hand over his hair and amazingly, Shinichi lets him get away with it. He dares to comb another hand over again and Shinichi warns him with one of his glares that say so much. This one proclaims, 'Just because I let you do things I normally wouldn't because of my temporary insanity, doesn't mean you should take it for granted or expect it next time.'

Kaito _knows_, and he doesn't expect anything and perhaps that is for the best.

(If you have no expectations, surely you won't be disappointed?)

He hides the secret wants and the greedy lusts, and continues to support Shinichi as he grouches and pouts the way home.

Then comes the tester.

"Do you want to come in?" Shinichi queries, clinging to the doorknob unsteadily, unknowing of the enduring will holding Kaito in place, stopping him from blurting out a hasty agreement, from doing things he'd regret in the morning-

"No," Kaito says politely and smiles at him. He pushes the door gently shut, and waits for the click of the lock before walking away.

* * *

AN: The tense marking continues to confuzzle me. Awh, Kaito. D: This was supposed to be part of Apartment Block verse but the mood is kinda… Well you don't have to know Apartment Block verse to get this anyway. xD;;;

Also, I come up with bad titles. [/runs away]


End file.
